GoodisonRoad

Oh get fucked Haf. He's been one of our best players and held it up really well which is what you always ask of him but you still manage to find something to critisize him on. It's pathetic. Naismiths passing has been poor. Can't seem to link up play at all. Besic has settled into the game well. Baines looking good. Hibbert has done alright but he has been done once or twice which let's face it was always going to happen. Barry is treading a fine line. Hoping we can scrape a win here but won't hold my breath!

Its not missing though Haf, thats sort of my point. Rom has flaws, Ross has flaws. Different flaws, i'll give you that. We all know that Rom's flaw is obviously his touch can let him down. But at times we have seen that his touch has been spot on (See run and pass to Naismith against Arsenal at Goodison a few weeks ago) so he does have it in his locker, its not as if every single game he has the touch of a rapist as per Anichebe. He has had games where he has had everything, we havent seen it yet this season but we have seen glimpses. In my opinion Roms flaws are greatly exaggerated because of his fee. Ross gets the backing because he is one of our own and didnt cost a penny. I'd love to have seen Bonys touch (Who you seem to be such a big fan of) when he was 21. Or Drogba's for that matter. To suggest it wont get better is just wrong.

It's funny how some people paper over the cracks when it comes to Ross and his decision making because he is one of our own but when it comes to Rom can only praise through gritted teeth and seem to pick only on his flaws because he cost us a lot of money (which was based on his potential). Even though they are both young players with a lot left to learn. Ross isn't a £50m player. He could be though. Same with Rom. He isn't £28m's worth but he could be.. And then some. Think certain people need to remember this when it comes to match days. We all backed Barkley last year when he looked a rabbit in the headlights at times last season in the final third which was reflected in his 0 assists. But I don't remember many people getting on his back because everyone understood he was a kid learning his trade. Same applies to Rom, despite his record. On topic, can't wait to have the lad back. Be a big boost.

Decent start like

Exactly! Sanity restored. He's 21 FFS! I know he cost a lot of money but people seem to be trying to find mistakes him rather than picking up on them.

Thought the exact same thing, and was just about to go ape shit before I saw the pass! I thought after a while though he got a bit isolated on the right and probably should have been moved in to the middle to give us a bit more focal point to the attack, obviously thats not his fault like but his performance yesterday was very promising overall.

Absolutely. His touch was the best I've seen from him. And a great pass for the second goal as well after a good run.

I understand your point, but out of curiousity, what changes would you have brought on? Alcaraz? Stones? We conceded late on against Leicester when he brought on a defender (Coleman)? I think his hands were tied slightly in that he didn't want to sub a sub (if that makes sense) in taking Osman off and bringing on Besic which would have been the only sub I could see that would have been of any benefit. Osman was the one clearly running on empty and you could possibly point the finger at Martinez as he should know that Osman was never going to be able to complete 80+ mins of football so should not have come on for Pienaar so early on. I just think it's a bit mad to be slating the manager for something he did very well last season so early into this season when if you look at the bigger picture 2 draws isn't all that bad considering the fixtures. We've deserved 6 though IMO. And don't get me wrong there is definitely room for improvement both from Martinez and from the players but I wouldn't get on his back about his substitutions and criticising his philosophy because of a disappointing result.

Serious case of Deja vu! what year is it?! The EXACT same things were said at the start of last season. Let's see how it pans out before we start asking serious questions. Like I just said in an earlier post, we are notoriously slow starters anyway and the fixture list hasn't exactly been kind to us to start off with. I'm as gutted as anyone not to come away with 3 points yesterday but it really does show how the expectations have been raised that people are now slating Martinez because we didn't win.

Makes me laugh. All we heard when Moyes was here making defensive subs was "what the hell is he doing! We are inviting them on to us now!" Now Martinez is here and does the polar opposite people are like "what the hell is he doing, we need a defender on to sure up the lead" Also funny how questions like this start being asked after a dissapointing result. Can't seem to remember a problem with his subs for most of last season? If anything he was praised for it! We made the most goal scoring subs at one point last season if I remember correctly. People need a reality check I think. I'm still gutted about yesterday but it's the old cliché of "it shows how far we've come" that we are dissapointed with a draw against Arsenal, in a game we deserved to win. Let's not forget we are slow starters generally and we still have issues to iron out in what is going to be a loooooong season. Relax guys. Bit early to be playing the blame game.

I defended Osman in the first half because he did alright but the end of that second half showed why he is no longer more than a 45 min player. He just doesn't have the legs. And I agree he shouldn't have come on for pienaar because he was never going to be able to play 80+ mins. McGeady was poor when he came on as well IMO. Gutted. We need to be a lot more clinical if we want to progress. We need to do what the shite do and just go all out in a blitz and get 3-4 and then start with the patient possession game.

Naismith by a country mile for me. A goodison first as well singing "there's only one Steven Naismith" He earned that today. Gutting result though.

He hasn't really had to has he? We are 2 nil up. He's not lost the ball and made a nice turn and got a cross in as soon as he came on. I'd understand giving someone stick for "being anonymous" if we were 2 nil down but we aren't, so why the critisism? He's done alright

Can't believe the stick Osman is getting. I'm one of his biggest critics but he hasn't done anything wrong! Roms link up play and touch have been vastly improved so far and Mirallas looks lively. I'd put Rom back in the middle now and maybe put him back out on the right later on. Baines has continued his good performance from Leicester. Jags needs to cut out the aimless hoofs but he's defended well.

My dad says it at the start of every game straight after kick off Quietly confident about todays game! hate having a late kick off though, the day always drags! hope we get to see something of Atsu, think he can cause Arsenal some problems with his pace if he gets on to run at them. Hopefully MIrallas can do that from the start. Hopefully an improved performance from Rom as well! On a side note; cant remember if i saw it on here or somewhere else but that video of jimmy martin talking about when Neville asked for the No18 shirt, if its on here, where the hell is it!?! been looking for about half an hour!

I love taking the piss out of the red shite as much as anyone but the whole "slip" thing is getting so boring now. They didnt win the league, we laughed for a bit now get on with it. I even cringe when i hear other crowds singing the "Gerrard, Gerrard" song. I dont know why im sick of it because whenever they do something good we never hear the end of it, but im bored it now tbh.

That late goal smacks of Norwich Away at the start of last season. Concede 2 shite goals in a game they didn't really deserve anything from, not that we were brilliant either like. Gutted. But we can only get better!

Cheers mike. Yeah was gunna say, it's definitely not Galloway.

Pictured in the back of a lads taxi on twitter. Due to sign a 5 year deal apparently. Would post the picture if I knew how

Depends which way you want to look at it. We've strengthened in terms of the long term outlook of the team, with Lukaku and Barry now signing contracts rather than a short term fix in a loan. And a 5 year deal for a promising 21 year old in a position we needed numbers in. I agree though, we do need 1 or 2 in terms of just adding numbers to the squad. But I'm very happy with what's been done so far.

Just throwing it out there. Can anyone remember a summer where we have strengthened and spent the money to the degree that we have without a single player leaving(correct me if I'm wrong)? This business done so far this summer has been exceptional IMO. I was like a kid at Christmas for the best part of 2 days after we signed Rom. Coupled with the exciting prospect of our youngsters coming through and the signing of Barry and Besic in a position we knew that we had to strengthen I can't think of anything to complain about for a change! Hope I haven't jynxed it now like but it has been a truly exceptional () summer so far!

Speaking to a lad in work today and he got a text from his mum saying that his uncle is going to be announced as Hibs manager today at 5. Asked him who is uncle is and it is apparently Stubbsy. He went the Bookies to try and put some money on it but they wouldnt take his money. Wish him the best of luck if he does go and maybe see him back here one day.

I understand that Rooney would probably be better played in Sturridge's position but when Sturridge has just scored 20 plus goals in a season for Liverpool and has already scored more in his first world cup than Rooney has in 3 then I personally wouldn't drop him for Rooney. I'd also disagree that he's our best player. I'm not 100% sure who is our best player at the minute as minus Rooney i think its a good "team" no stand out individuals at the moment but some very good players when played correctly.

Unfortunately, we are accommodating Rooney into the team and its having a detrimental effect. I personally wouldn't hesitate one bit in dropping Rooney for any of Lallana, Sterling, Barkley or Ox as they all fit into the "system" we're trying to play. If you look at the players who play that system week in week out for their respective teams it just makes sense. Liverpool, Everton, Southampton all play very similar variations of 4-2-3-1. Which is why their players make up the vast majority of the squad. Rooney just doesnt fit in. Its a joke that we're putting him out on the Left simply because its "Wayne Rooney" and he's a "supposed" World class player who simply must play for his country. If anybody else performed the way he did yesterday they'd have no chance of starting against Uruguay. I'd put £100 on him starting on thursday.

Rooney was a joke. He left Baines out to Dry every time Italy attacked and offered absolutley nothing going forward. The shot he pulled wide was pathetic. To not even work the keeper from that position when your on £300k a week is unacceptable. And that corner he took with 10 minutes to go...you'd be pissed off if you saw a sunday league player do that never mind an England international. Italy saw that we werent playing with "natural" wingers and exploited that. Cant believe people can pin it on Baines. He was left 2 on 1 every time.